Jusuf Nurkic has called out NBA referee Scott Foster for his officiating in Friday’s game between the Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Foster was the crew chief for the contest and Nurkic stated he needs to realize Chris Paul no longer plays for the Suns.
“Six of them probably were like offensive fouls, travels,” Nurkic said when asked about the Suns’ 14 turnovers. “… Scott Foster, respectfully, he just needs to know that Chris Paul don’t play on this team no more. All joking aside, it just sometimes feels that way.”
"Scott Foster, respectively, he just needs to know that Chris Paul don't play on this team no more."
Jusuf Nurkic on the veteran referee who has had battles with Paul.
Nurkic was initially asked about the turnovers as Suns had 14.
"Six were like offensive fouls, travel." #Suns pic.twitter.com/Mpzcx3b8Dz
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 30, 2024
Paul and Foster have, of course, butted heads for years at this point and there is no love lost between the two. Paul had infamously lost 13 straight playoff games Foster had worked in, before finally getting a win in Game 2 of the Suns’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2023 playoffs.
That win improved Paul’s record to 3-17 in playoff games that Foster had officiated and if anyone thought things might have gotten better after that they were wrong. Earlier this season, Paul called Foster a b*tch after he ejected him from a game between the Suns and the Golden State Warriors.
During his postgame interview, Paul said it was personal between him and Foster and that it stemmed from a situation involving the 12-time All-Star’s son. It’s highly unlikely that these two will ever mend fences and I do believe Foster should not officiate a game that Paul is playing in.
Getting back to Nurkic, the Bosnian just wants to make sure Foster realizes Paul is no longer a Sun. The 29-year-old was not happy with the Suns being called for four offensive fouls and two traveling violations in the game.
Nurkic did state that he doesn’t want to take anything away from the Thunder, who blew out the Suns 128-103, even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being out. They swept the season series 3-0 with that result and dropped Phoenix to 43-31 in this 2023-24 campaign.
The Suns Look Set For A Disappointing Finish To The 2023-24 Season
There were a lot of expectations on the Suns when they traded for Bradley Beal this past offseason. A big three of Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker seemed deadly on paper, but things just haven’t worked out.
Injuries have certainly played a role there, but even when the three have been together on the court recently, the Suns haven’t looked like the juggernaut that some expected them to be. At this point, it is hard to be optimistic about their prospects moving forward.
The Suns are currently seventh in the West and have the hardest remaining schedule in the NBA. The chances of them avoiding the NBA Play-In Tournament are slim and I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see them even finish down at ninth.
Even if they navigate through the tournament and make the playoffs, this team’s ceiling for me is the second round. The biggest issue for the Suns this season has been their fourth-quarter execution. They have an offensive rating of 104.3 in the fourth quarter and a net rating of -14.3 in the period, with both being the worst marks in the league. That’s a recipe for disaster in the playoffs and I fully expect the Suns to bow out in disappointing fashion.
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